Machine-readable text goes all the way back to the 1950s, when the banking industry developed MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) to allow automatic processing of checks.
The system used a distinctive numeric font set that made it easy to read via magnetic sensors, while still being human readable as well. The style became associated with computers and futuristic technology and fonts inspired by MICR were a staple of 1960s and 70s Sci Fi movies and book covers.















